How to Make it a Productive Semester
I have always loved when a new semester rolls around. We are given a clean slate no matter what the past semester looked like. The start of a new semester typically brings new motivations. It allows us the opportunity to make the current semester better than the last. Now everyone may prepare for the semester differently, but I believe there are a few tasks that we can all complete that will help us have a semester that is fruitful and productive.
The first thing I do at the beginning of each semester is make sure I read through the syllabus for each of my classes. The syllabus gives insight into the professor's standards for the class, coursework, and deadlines. Once I have all the syllabuses, I then create a Google sheet with every deadline for every class. Google Sheets gives you the ability to organize the deadlines by due date and color code the assignments based on class. Having a “master list” that contains every assignment and when it is due will help you stay on track with your schoolwork. It allows you to have every assignment that will be due in one place, rather than having to check multiple different places to figure out the homework you have due. Since I have started creating this “master list” I have noticed that I rarely miss due dates for assignments. At the start of every week, I open my “master list” and plan when I will complete my tasks and finish them ahead of time. I cannot recommend creating your own “master list” enough as it has truly changed how productive I am each semester.
Another tool that will aid you in having a productive semester is having a good planner. Now I’m sure most people have owned a planner at some point or another, but owning a planner and actually using it are two very different things. For the longest time, I would own a planner, but I could never stay consistent in using it so it became pointless. I soon realized that I never used a planner regularly because I was not using the planner best suited for me. There are a wide variety of planners and they are catered to different individuals. There are planners that have hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly formats. For me personally, I like to schedule out my day by the hour. It makes sense to me to plan my day hourly rather than plan the day as a whole or plan by week. Yet, for some people planning by the hour could induce stress. This is why it is crucial to have a planner that works best for you. When you have a planner that caters to your needs, it makes the planner more likely to be used and more beneficial to you in the long run.
The last thing I do to ensure I will have a productive semester is to try my best to go to the library at least once a week. I am a very distracted person, so I often struggle to get work done at my house or in my room. To avoid distractions, I have started going to the library to get work done. Auburn’s library offers study rooms that you can reserve ahead of time. These study rooms give me the peace and quiet I need to get my work done. I try to book a study room once a week and use that time to plan my week out and work on any homework or assignments that I have at the time. This method has allowed me to get much more work done at the library than I ever could at my house.
I know completing these tasks can seem overwhelming and they may not be for everyone, but I know they have helped me out tremendously. Everyone’s semester is going to look different and life just happens sometimes which is okay. My hope is that these tips can aid you in having your most productive semester yet!
